Defence

Thales and Aselsan have agreed to continue their collaboration on shipborne launchers for the Lightweight Multirole Missile. The Aselsan/Thales eight-round LMM launcher is pictured. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved the purchase of 38 additional Pilatus PC-7 Mk II tandem-seat basic trainer aircraft for CHF230 million (INR14.88 billion) on 28 February.
These will supplement 75 PC-7s acquired by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2012 for USD1 billion to replace the locally

The Portuguese defence procurement agency (DGRDN) is considering buying the French Navy's landing platform dock (LPD) Siroco , the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence (MND) has told IHS Jane's .
However, no final decision has been made to buy the ship yet due to financial considerations. In

The Mexican Air Force (FAM) has ordered 15 Bell 407GX helicopters, Bell Helicopter confirmed in a 2 March statement.
Deliveries to the 111th Air Squadron at Zapopan, Jalisco, are scheduled to occur in 2015 and add to a fleet of Bell 206, 212, and 412EPs in service with the FAM since 1973, the

India announced a core defence budget of INR2.5 trillion (USD41.1 billion) for fiscal year 2015-16 on 28 February.
The figure is a 7.7%, or INR1.8 billion, increase over the initial 2014-15 budget announced by the previous Congress Party-led government in February 2014, or a 10.9% increase over

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has, for the first time, launched two major programmes led by Indian consortia to indigenously develop network-centric systems for the Indian Army.
Under the 'Make in India' initiative launched by India's new government that stresses indigenous materiel

Multilateral meetings are set to explore how to tackle cyber-security, but international co-operation is far from straightforward. Tim Maurer looks at the potential challenges in finding common ground amid an increase in cyber-attacks in 2014

The UK Royal Navy (RN) has graduated its first operational crews to be trained on the AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat HMA.2 helicopter, the service announced on 2 March.
Eleven pilots and seven aircrew from 847 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) and the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) 652 Squadron based at Royal

Key Points
Aselsan and Thales have signed a further agreement for joint development of shipborne launcher systems for the Thales Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM)
The agreement covers continued development of four- and eight-round LMM Missile Launching System variants
Aselsan and Thales UK's

Key Points
US Navy Office of Naval Research's Mission Planning Application is part of the Advanced Processing Build programme for submarines
ONR hopes to demonstrate the software during a one-year demonstration on board the DDG 51 cruiser USS Mobile Bay, beginning in 2015
The US Navy (USN) Office

The United States will have to spend USD348 billion on nuclear weapons modernisation over the next 10 years if it wants to maintain a triad of nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarines, and bomber aircraft, according to a 22 January report from the Congressional Budget

Fleetlist
Programmes: The Pattugliatore Polivalente d'Altura (PPA) programme is for a class of six multipurpose offshore patrol vessels, with an option for a further four ships. Five are to be in a low-end configuration (patrol) and one in high-end configuration (combat). A modular design approach

Development
Zeman's mine resistant boots are designed to provide leg protection against Anti-Personnel (AP) mines containing up to 35 g (AM-35 type) and 50 g (AM-50 type) high explosives (TNT) and have been developed by Zeman in cooperation with Aall Jiri Chladek explosives consultants (see

Type
Penetration warhead.
Development
In 1994 Britain's Royal Ordnance (later BAE Systems Royal Ordnance Defence, BAE Systems Land and Armaments and now BAE Global Combat Systems Munitions) released details of a new penetrating tandem warhead concept suitable for both bombs and air-to-surface